Half a Million Bees Killed in Netherlands Deliberate Blaze.
A Dutch beekeeper has expressed dismay after his ten colonies were burned down in a public garden in the central city of Almere, causing the death of an estimated 500,000 bees.
Harold Stringer mentioned that every colony housed a colony of forty to sixty thousand bees, and the idea that anyone could destroy them was horrific.
"It really hurts that my ten colonies have perished," he told regional media.
Law enforcement in Almere, which sits to the northeast of Amsterdam, have appealed for witnesses after the arson attack on Tuesday night in the city's picturesque Beatrixpark. They posted pictures of the fire on online platforms.
The Netherlands authorities says that over 50% of the country's 360 types of bee are at risk of dying out, as the number of bees declines globally.
The beekeeper said that police had informed him an flammable substance had been used to ignite the hives, which were placed on wooden platforms in a wooded part of the park.
Barely any of the bees made it through and he noted that he had little faith the perpetrator would be caught.
Another apiarist Heleen Nieman told Dutch radio that she had three hives and wanted to give him a colony.
For Mr Stringer, who looked after the colonies for about nine years, the fire means starting a fresh hive in the park from scratch.
But he affirms he will continue his efforts.
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